by johnnymarin | Oct 23, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Signs put up by the council in West Ealing asking people not to feed pigeons have been spray-painted over in the night less than 24 hours after being put up and again after being cleaned just days later.
A small public space on the corner of Melbourne Avenue has become the centre of a bizarre squabble between local pigeon-lovers and annoyed residents, who are utterly fed up with the droppings the birds leave.
Ealing Council recently rejuvenated the spot in response to resident pressure, turning it from untended grass to a paved area with flowerbeds.
But the vandalism last Friday (October 5) and on Monday (October 8) shows the determination of the bird-feeders.
West Ealing Neighbours chairman David Highton, 67, said: “There’s been a long-running problem here for years with people feeding pigeons.
“It attracts birds to an area where they cause considerable difficulties and people get quite passionate about it on both sides, hence someone taking all the trouble to come out in the dead of night to do this.
“If you get that many pigeons together in one place there can be health risks, what with all the diseases they carry, and their droppings block the gutters.
“Someone spent £3,000 putting spikes on their fence and roof and a young couple had to spend £500 getting their gutters cleaned because otherwise the water spills over.”
But clearly not everyone sees the birds as a pest.
What diseases are carried by pigeons?
People living in areas with a lot of pigeon droppings and feathers could be at risk of the following diseases:
- Yeast infection – widely spread by pigeons and can affect the skin, mouth and lungs. Symptoms include bad breath, bloating and joint pain
- Salmonella and E.coli – both bacteria are carried by pigeons and can cause diarrhea and stomach pains. Salmonella also causes fever, while E.coli causes vomiting
- Parrot fever – caught from inhaling bacteria from dry droppings, a very rare but often fatal disease which can cause bloody coughing and brain swelling
- Histoplasmosis – a fungal disease caught by inhaling spores. It causes flu-like symptoms including chest pains, fever and fatigue. Can be fatal for those with weakened immune systems
- Cryptococcosis – another fungal disease found in droppings at around 80% of nesting sites. It can cause a serious pneumonia-like infection in those with weakened immune systems
- St Louis encephalitis – a virus carried by pigeons and transmitted to humans via mosquito bites. It causes fever, dizziness, nausea and headaches and can lead to infection of the nervous system
Mr Highton added: “[Some] people feel it is their right to feed the birds and they come round on a regular basis. Residents have tried to ask them not to do this but some people can get quite abusive.
“West Ealing Neighbours will look after the flower beds and we are keen to make the place look as attractive as possible but given the chance the pigeons will walk all over it as they have in the past and wreck it.
“I’m not personally one who would say that we should get rid of all the pigeons but there’s some places that are not appropriate to feed them because of the health risks and the damage to people’s homes.”
At some point during last Friday night (October 5), after 7.30pm, signs instructing people not to feed pigeons were completely painted over with black spray paint, having only just been installed.
The signs were cleaned on Monday (October 8) morning but again defaced during the night.
A resident who wishes to remain nameless for fear of retribution said: “I have basically got an infestation of pigeons on my house that I cannot do anything about.
“It makes the area look really unsightly to have a massive horde of pigeons defecating everywhere and it’s causing me and my neighbours a massive amount of stress.”
‘The bane of my existence’
“At times there have been up to 30 pigeons defecating all over my property, it means I have to pay people to clean my gutters and have to clean droppings off the front of my house every few weeks.
“The noise they make is also really loud, I struggle to even watch TV. It’s honestly the bane of my existence and really soul-destroying to see people keep feeding them and encouraging them to congregate here.
“I have seen people drive up and tip huge bags of birdseed there on a couple of occasions and every morning a few people drop bread.
“I can appreciate different cultures have different relationships with pigeons than mine does and I try to speak to them nicely but some of them just seem unhinged. One told me that pigeons were the reason we won World War Two so he was going to keep looking after them.
Religions that encourage the feeding of pigeons
Some religious groups encourage the feeding of pigeons.
Sikh high priest and warrior Guru Gobind Singh is often associated with pigeons and many Sikhs believe that, when they are reincarnated, they will never go hungry if they have fed the birds in a previous life.
Some religious groups also believe that when a person dies his or her soul assumes the form of a bird, very often a pigeon, and that by feeding birds they are caring for the souls of their departed ancestors.
The pigeon is a revered animal in India and flocks numbering in the thousands are fed daily outside Hindu temples throughout the country.
“We spent a long time complaining to the council and they eventually paid a significant sum to have the area redeveloped. At the time I thought it would make people change their behaviour but the signs were painted over instantly.
“If this person’s prepared to spray public signs, which is a criminal act, it seems like they would do whatever is necessary to keep feeding the birds.”
In response to the vandalism Ealing councillor Mik Sabiers said: “Pigeons are pests and it’s been an offence to feed them since the 1981 Environment Act.
Should people feed pigeons?
“They impact on residents’ enjoyment of our parks and open spaces and there is a cost to cleaning up after these birds.
“If someone is seen feeding pigeons, a fixed penalty notice will be issued in line with the council’s policy on fining those caught dropping litter on the borough’s streets.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 22, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Many different kinds of activities fly here in Las Vegas, but soon, one might not: feeding the pigeons.
It’s currently banned in Henderson and in Clark County, and come a week from Wednesday, Oct. 10, it could become that way in the City of Las Vegas.
Ward One Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian says the ordinance was drafted for health reasons, stemming from numerous complaints.
Tarkanian said, “The ordinance was developed because of complaints we had from city residents about the dirtying of the environment by the pigeons,.Their droppings contain germs which carry diseases and can be very toxic. We are doing this for health purposes.”
While to some it might not seem like a big deal, pest control professional Kevin Rast says it’s not something to joke around about.
“Pigeons aren’t the problem. It’s their waste. The waste itself is actually toxic. It is considered a hazardous substance,” says Rast.
Rast confirmed Tarkanian’s assertion that pigeon waste can carry serious diseases, and that if the wrong person is exposed to high quantities of it, there could be deadly consequences.
Often times, the waste is sucked into air conditioning units and is pumped into buildings, according to Rast.
If a person who suffers from Asthma or another breathing ailment, Rast says, then this poses a serious problem.
“To see 200 or 300 birds on a roof of a building is not unusual at all,” he says.
When people feed the pigeons, Rast says it’s not good for the people.
More pigeons will show up to the area, hoping there will be a new food source. They’ll reproduce, and create even more waste.
When that unnatural food source disappears, it poses a problem for the pigeons.
“There won’t be a food supply there. Then you’re going to cause all kinds of problems for the population itself,” Rast says.
The proposed ordinance defines wild pigeons as “any common pigeon of the species columba livia, also known as a city pigeon, rock dove, rock pigeon or flying rat.”
If the ordinance passes and becomes law, convicted violators could face a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months imprisonment.
Rast says that it’s best to let the pigeons find their food naturally, so people don’t add more waste to the problem.
“Pigeons are going to find food no matter where they are at,” he said.
The City Council may be voting on this matter on Wednesday, October 17th.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 21, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
BOGOTA, Colombia — On a bright Sunday afternoon, a group of government workers walked around Bogota’s most famous square dressed as pigeons, with cardboard beaks covering their noses, as thousands of real birds swarmed overhead and left their droppings on stately monuments.
Flapping their plastic wings and performing brief skits, they urged curious pedestrians not to feed the large flocks that descend each day onto Plaza Bolivar, a grand colonial era square flanked by a Roman Catholic cathedral and Colombia’s elegant congressional building.
“There are too many pigeons here,” said Mauricio Cano, a biologist who led the group of bird impersonators. “Feeding them is bad for people, and for the birds.”
While London has tried to scare unruly pigeons away from train stations by deploying menacing hawks, and Paris has employed contraceptive methods to limit flock sizes, Bogota’s government is trying to fight pigeon overpopulation through educational campaigns that urge people not to feed them.
Officials believe that if people stop nourishing the birds, they will stop concentrating in public squares where their droppings sully historical buildings and put people’s health at risk. If the birds, which aren’t native to Colombia, don’t gather in large numbers, their rate of reproduction is also likely to decrease.
“We do not want to annihilate these pigeons,” says Clara Sandoval, director of Bogota’s animal protection department. “But we need people to give them a chance to return to their natural behavior.”
A study conducted by city biologists found that the square’s pigeon population doubles on weekends to 3,400 birds as the number of tourists who visit the square’s iconic sites also swells.
“In some areas (of the plaza) you can find up to 33 pigeons per square meter,” Cano said.
But convincing people not to give the birds food has proven tricky.
Feeding pigeons corn and taking a photo with them in Bolivar Square has been something of a local tradition for decades.
It also sustains a dozen or so street vendors who sell small bags of pigeon feed for about $1 each.
“I’ve raised four children with this job,” said Lilly Portilla, who has been plying the trade in the plaza for 25 years.
Bogota’s government is offering vendors like Portilla stalls in public buildings, so that they can sell snacks to office workers, instead of pigeon feed to tourists. It’s also offering job skills training children of vendors so that they have options other than following their parents into the business.
But some vendors say they haven’t been included in the job placement program. And others are not convinced that selling snacks to humans will be as profitable as their current job.
Officials said they will eventually ban pigeon feed vendors from the square if they don’t go voluntarily.
“We have to give these birds their dignity,” said Cano, the biologist. “These pigeons should return to green spaces, where they can feed on their own.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 20, 2018 | Bird Deterrent Products
Poisoning pigeons as a way to control their population is cruel and sickening, and should be stopped at once.
Usually, pest controllers feed the birds bread laced with poison. A short while later, these birds will be found writhing on the ground in agony. While struggling and still alive, they are picked up and thrown into garbage bags to be disposed off.
However, a few days ago, I realised that a new type of poison is being used.
This white powdery substance is left near rubbish chutes or on pavements where the birds can be found. The birds ingest this powder and die a slow and painful death.
I have seen three dead pigeons, as well as a cockerel.
Town councils should not be given the right to poison at will. Neither should the word “cull” be used to make it sound acceptable, because it is not.
Similar cases have been reported in Paya Lebar and Ang Mo Kio.
Just how many birds are poisoned each year?
As overpopulation is due to human feeding or the improper clearance of food, the best way to tackle this in the long run is through education, though it may take longer to see results.
Children should be taught from a young age not to feed wild birds and animals.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 19, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
We humans are like the pigeon, which sits on a high-tension wire, thinking it is safe. It believes it is the lucky one and no harm will come to it. In how we perceive the environment, its use, conservation and preservation, we are like that pigeon. We build houses on mountains, cutting them to build resorts and roads, and expect landslides and flash floods to never occur. We do illegal sand mining, change the course of rivers and expect them to never die, or the ecology to never wither. We build infrastructure in floodplains, and pray there are no floods. We build cement cities, and then, rue the effects of global warming. We dump plastic waste in nullahs, khads and rivers, and expect fish meat to be nutritious.
Our un-ecological actions go on and on. We shirk our responsibilities towards nature and expect it to bless us with abundant resources.
Several international conventions like Bonn, Rotterdam, CITES and CMS have been working for the conservation of environment, but it has not percolated down to the grassroots. Else why would developed countries continue with coal emissions? Why is the green action climate fund empty? Or, here in India, why swachhta has to be an abhiyan? It should be a part of life.
Perhaps the concept of a welfare state has made us totally dependent on the government for providing and provisioning everything. We do not want to stop using plastic, but we want the administration to take care of all garbage, whether flung across a valley or littered in nullahs. We do not want to pay our taxes fully (India’s tax to GDP ratio is about 4 per cent), which can be used to fund the expensive R&D to build cleaner technologies. But we want low-cost technological solutions to green problems. We strive less to keep public transport and public facilities clean, and then, make that an excuse to use private transport and seek private facilities everywhere, taking the carbon footprint a thousand notches higher!
Why, even after so much research and awareness about ecology and need to be environmentally conscious, our greed knows no bounds? Why do we exploit our resources like we are the last generation? Why do we hoard land and water to become rich while communities out there are languishing in inhuman ghettos? If epidemics originate from such ghettos, they will reach us too!
Population is out of control. The earth’s carrying capacity has remained a topic for books and examinations. Campaigns regarding this are many in the social dimension, but is the urgency of the issue understood? The pigeon in us is not only resting on dangerous ground, but also has its eyes closed, thinking the cat is away. It is time to open the eyes and see: disasters await if we do not change our way of life.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 18, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
The Lafayette Racing Pigeon Club will participate in a cross country relay race helping to raise funds for Wounded Warriors. Over a 62 day period homing pigeons will fly a 4,000 mile relay race across 11 states. On September 11 the first team of birds flew from Vancouver, Washington to their home in Salem, Oregon. Teams of homing pigeons will continue these 50-250 mile relay legs until the final team arrives in Daytona Beach, Florida on Veteran’s Day November 11.
Crossing Louisiana the relay will see teams fly from Hamshire, Texas to Lake Charles, then to Lafayette, to Denham Springs, to Amite, to Slidell and a final leg to Pass Christian, Mississippi.
In Lafayette, Fred Werner will release a team of racing homing pigeons at the new Moncus Park.
Werner states that “ Moncus Park is the ideal release site since there are plans to build a Veterans Memorial here for which the park is currently soliciting donations.”
The message Werner is putting on his birds will also honor a famous homing pigeon from 100 years ago, “Cher Ami”.
Cher Ami was a military homing pigeon responsible for saving hundreds of lives by delivering lifesaving messages. Probably best known is the story of the “Lost Battalion” of the American Seventy-Seventh Infantry Division during World War I that had been isolated from other American forces in the Argonne Forest of France. They were surrounded by Germans, had no food and were running out of ammunition. The unit was being shelled by its own guns taking casualties. They had 3 military homing pigeons as the only means of requesting help. The first two unfortunately were shot down. On October 4, 1918 Cher Ami carried a message from Major Charles S. Whittlesey which read :
“WE ARE ALONG THE ROAD PARALLEL 276.4 OUR ARTILLERY IS DROPPING A BARRAGE DIRECTLY ON US. FOR HEAVENS SAKE STOP IT”.
The pigeon flew 25 miles in 25 minutes despite being shot twice, in the chest and the leg carrying the message and blinded in one eye. Badly wounded she arrived in time to stop the firing and save 194 U.S. soldiers. For this heroic service the pigeon was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, a military honor usually reserved for soldiers. She was shipped back to the U.S. with General John J Pershing personally seeing her off. The little pigeon received the best medical care including a false leg to replace the one she lost. Eventually, however, she died of her wounds and is preserved in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.
The message carried in October, 1918 is the same message Werner will have his birds carry October 2018 from Lafayette to Denham Springs to honor Cher Ami.
All funds raised from this unusual Homing Pigeon Relay Race will be donated to the non-profit Building Homes for Heroes. This organization hands over a customized home debt free to a wounded veteran every 11 days and help honor these wounded vets as the heroes they truly are.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 17, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) – The Richmond Wildlife Center urges the public to be on the lookout for banded pigeons that may be injured while trying to fly back home.
According to the organization’s Facebook page, Saturday marked the annual World Trade Center Memorial Pigeon Race. Banded birds were shipped from Bronx, NY to Lynchburg, VA and then were supposed to “race” back to their lofts in New York.
“Pigeon races have been going on for centuries, having started in Belgium,” said Melissa Stanley, Executive Director for the Richmond Wildlife Center. “This past weekend was one of the biggest races on the east coast.”
According to the Facebook post, many of these birds typically don’t make the 370-mile flight back home.
“Birds of prey are hunting, storing up reserves for migration or for those sticking around Virginia for the winter,” Stanley said. “[They’re] building up reserves for winter when food becomes more scarce.”
At least one banded pigeon was brought to the center from Church Hill after it was attacked by a hawk. It suffered a major bacterial infection. But by just looking at the pigeon you wouldn’t be able to see its injuries.
“There was a puncture under its wing and over its back,” Stanley said. “This bird was particularly lucky it managed to escape. A lot of times these pigeons, which are domesticated and live with people, are not so familiar with predators, such as hawks, and they get picked off.”
Domesticated pigeons are usually distinguishable thanks to the bands attached to their legs.
The band will tell vets the club the pigeon belongs to and when it was hatched – similar to a license on a dog collar.
“These are birds that pigeoneers typically do want back,” Stanley said.
Sometimes the pigeons will have another band on the other leg signifying a race.
“These are only on the birds when they’re in an actual race,” Stanley added.
Pigeon races happen all year round, with plenty of clubs located in Central Virginia.
However, Stanley urges the public to be aware of these birds – if they’re on the ground they’re more than likely injured.
“Every pigeon that we’ve ever admitted needed veterinary attention,” she said. “Often times when they do go down their immune systems are compromised and then they break with various diseases and parasites and have other issues.”
At this point Stanley isn’t sure whether this pigeon took part in the homing race to New York Saturday.
“Pigeons have a fascinating history and have one of the best homing instincts,” she said. “If you think about birds in general they migrate to the same locations over and over again all their lives and pigeons are no different. You raise them in a loft and they learn that the loft is home.”
Now Stanley’s focus is on making sure it recovers and spreading the word about these kinds of injuries.
“If you find a banded pigeon that is down and you’re able to catch it, please don’t follow the bad advice of feeding it, watering it and letting it go,” she said. “Often times that’s not enough.”
In order to transport the pigeon to the center please do the following:
- Place it in a box with air-holes or a cat carrier. Make sure there are towels inside for comfort.
- Fill a water dish, as least 2 inches deep, and place it inside. (Pigeons need to be able to stick their entire beak in the water)
- You can offer them seeds, but not seeds with shells on them
“When you’re giving them their food, make sure you put it right next to their water,” Stanley said. “Pigeons eat and then drink, eat and then drink. You’ll find the next morning that they’ve soaked some of their seed in water.”
There are different kinds of competitions these pigeons may take part in:
- Racing competitions: Pigeons race back to the loft and those that get home the fastest win.
- Homing competitions: Pigeons have to find their way home from long distances. The fastest one home wins.
- Roller competitions: Pigeons that are bred for a specific gene that causes a mini-seizure in flight that makes them roll in the air.
- Tumbler competitions: Similar to a roller competition but the action is on the ground.
“They’re used to relying on humans to be taken care of,” Stanley said. “If they have bands and they’re in a competition they’re very well taken care of. There’s thousands of dollars that goes into these birds.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 16, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
At least 10 pigeons hit an Air Malta plane in a bird strike incident last month which delayed the fight but did not injure anyone.
Malta International Airport had reported at the time that a bird hit the aircraft on departure.
Transport Malta told The Sunday Times of Malta that “according to preliminary reports, between two and 10 pigeons hit the aircraft and its No. 2 engine” that day.
However, sources have put the number of pigeons involved as being at least 10, although only one of them is reported to have got into the engine.
The 7.20am flight to London on September 20 was delayed by about three-and-a-half hours for the aircraft to be examined and cleaned.
The online journal Aviation Voice reported that the Airbus A319-100 was accelerating for take-off when it encountered a flock of birds, causing multiple impacts and prompting the crew to abort take-off at high speed.
Transport Malta said the incident “cannot be considered serious”.
It said that serious accidents were investigated by the Bureau of Air Accident Investigation and explained that according to standards and practices recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, a serious incident is one “involving circumstances indicating that an accident nearly occurred”.
However, one industry source – a pilot – expressed scepticism over this assessment of the incident.
“Any bird strike can have consequences but a bird strike involving that number of pigeons can be a hair-raising experience even for a very experienced pilot,” he said.
He gave his reassurance, however, that “the idea that birds clog an engine is not correct… modern turbofan engines are quite resilient”.
Each strike requires the aircraft to be inspected, leading to delays and inconvenience to passengers
The pilot said any bird strike was taken seriously by airlines because even a small bird could cause damage.
“Each strike requires the aircraft to be inspected, leading to delays and inconvenience to passengers.”
Another pilot, a commercial airline captain, said bird strikes can occur during any phase of flight up to just over 5,000 feet but are most likely to occur during the take-off, initial climb, approach and landing phases. This is because birds are more easily encountered at these lower levels.
“Bird strikes complicate flight operations and pose a real threat to lives, which is why they are, or rather should be, taken very seriously,” he said.
Bird strikes are a global phenomenon in aviation. A total of 48 were recorded at Malta International Airport last year, 19 more than in 2017. The average number of bird strikes between 2014 and 2016 was 33.
The airport has bird-hazard management procedures in place that include bird-presence patrols, harassment through acoustic distress calls, removal of food and water sources at the aerodrome and regular cutting of grass to eliminate shelter.
The MIA declined to comment on the latest strike due to the “ongoing investigation”.
Transport Malta said it expected the investigation to identify any weaknesses in the process being used by MIA to reduce the possibility of bird strikes.
Questions sent to Air Malta early last week remained unanswered.
In response to a passenger who complained on the Air Malta Facebook page about the long wait she had to endure, Air Malta apologised and asked her to “get in touch with Customer Care team for due compensation”.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 15, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
The psychologist BF Skinner put pigeons in a box to study their responses to stimuli. One cohort were given grain if they pecked a button and they quickly worked out the mechanism by which they were being rewarded. In another group, however, grain was dispensed entirely randomly, with no input from the pigeon having any effect. Rather than clocking this distribution as entirely senseless, Skinner found these pigeons instead contrived ever more elaborate patterns of behaviour to get the desired effect. Some walked in circles, others pecked at the walls, each thinking they had intuited some replicable method of attaining their desire. I think of that second group of pigeons a lot, pacing anti-clockwise round our bedroom, humming as I rub my son’s temple in a desperate attempt to get him to sleep.
The issue of sleep is one I’ve not really broached in this column since – whisper it – my son had previously slept quite well in his early days. We have friends with toddlers who’ve never slept three hours in a single block, so we know how obnoxious that sounds. But for a brief, exalted time that now seems to wave to us from a distant past, he did exactly that. And we held this like a shameful secret, fearing the magic of this particular arrangement would be broken if we said it aloud. Or, like Superman’s parents, feared our beloved Clark would be taken away from us so that his super powers would be studied.
But that was then. Now, we spend our nights pondering over the wisdom of evolution, to have made these small, delicate objects simultaneously so reliant on sleep and so bad at realising this fact. My son resists sleep so enthusiastically, I’m starting to think that being closely cuddled and softly shushed is, for him, roughly equivalent to taking cocaine.
One thing that does help is music. Partly to make it more pleasurable for me and partly because I’m the worst, I feed my son a steady diet of recursive ambient music by people who sell tote bags at their gigs. Autechre’s Vletrmx21 is one of my favourite songs, now slowly curdling in my brain from applying it several times a day like an antiseptic scrub for his waking mind. If you were to look in on me putting him down for a nap, it would be to that track. It sounds like the dying siren of a rescue droid, drifting through the dust of a dead planet, seeking signs of life.
But the abstruse electronica I’ve been peddling turns out to be nowhere near as effective as my wife’s secret weapon. It renders my son unconscious as reliably as chloroform. It’s the strangled tones of Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman straining their way through the Love Medley from Moulin Rouge.
Perhaps, were he to spy our son’s fate, some poor pigeon, tracing futile circles in a distant lab, will thank his lucky stars.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 14, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
NEW ALBANY, Indiana — When Stephen Price agreed to let one of his tenants bring home a gaggle of pigeons, he didn’t know what he was getting himself into.
To be fair, the tenant, Robert “Painter Bob” Maskalick, warned him.
“He always told me, he said, ‘One day, you’re going to inherit these,'” Price said, sitting in the backyard of a house he owns on the corner of East Main and Vincennes streets in New Albany.
Maskalick built coops for the 40-or-so pigeons, kept them fed and periodically let them fly free. The birds, a mixture of roller and homing pigeons equipped with a natural GPS and survival sense, always came back.
Price thinks the birds helped Maskalick, in his early 60s, live longer than he would have otherwise. Maskalick, who had a heart condition, died about a year ago.
“I think they actually gave him several years longer, because it has a calming effect,” Price said of the pigeons. “If you ever would come out here and sit and watch, it’s like watching an aquarium or something … It calms you down, it mellows you out.”
The soft, rolling coo of the pigeons is something like a lullaby. With strangers around, they cock their heads and perch on edges. Most of Price’s pigeons are white, glistening in the low, late-afternoon sun, peeking through the wire. Others are white with black speckles, or the signature deep blues with small patches of shimmering green.
Price used popcorn — a pigeon favorite — to coax them out one day last week. Each one flapped its wings through the open gate before swiftly changing direction and landing atop the coop. They stayed there — free, but safe. Price said the birds know when darkness is near, and that the setting sun means predators are lurking. So when he releases them in the evening, they stay close, despite their ability to fly hundreds of miles away.
Still, Price has lost pigeons to hawks.
“It’s nature, but it’s very morbid,” he said.
Other than needing protection from harm, pigeons are “durable” birds, Price said. They need little more than food and clean water.
“They’re just really tough birds,” but soft as pillows, he added.
After Maskalick died, Price, who lives a few houses away and owns several nearby properties, took on the role of pigeon caretaker. He admits he’s considered getting rid of the birds, but he’s too attached to go through with it. His adoration is never more evident than when he talks to the pigeons in a steady, high-pitched tone.
“You gotta talk real nice to them,” he explained.
It’s a tactic Price has learned by doing, just like he learned almost everything else about pigeon care-taking. He’s also gotten insight from fellow pigeon people who drop tips here and there. And yes, there are plenty of fellow pigeon people. Later this month, Price and his daughter (who happens to be a longtime bird lover) will go to the National Young Bird Show in Louisville. It’s one of the country’s largest all-breed pigeon shows, according to the event’s website.
Rick Kilgore, president of the Indiana Pigeon Club and owner of more than 100 pigeons, said it’s a well-respected show competition that attracts people from all over the world.
Kilgore has raised pigeons since he was about 6 years old. He likes the challenge of improving a breed (there are hundreds of pigeon breeds) and the friendly competition of a show or race.
The Indiana Pigeon Club has 40 to 50 members and keeps growing, Kilgore said. More 4-H kids are staying interested, and it’s those kids who will keep the hobby alive.
For now, Price just enjoys the company of his pigeons.
“I tell a lot of the guys who rent from me this … in life, stay grounded and you’ll be happier,” he said. “… By living simple and doing really simple things, it’s amazing how happy you can be by doing literally almost nothing.
“You just have to kind of relax and enjoy it.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 13, 2018 | Pigeon Spikes
The Carolina Waterfowl Rescue is trying to figure out who is poisoning pigeons at a shopping center in Union County.
The organization posted a video on Facebook showing the disturbing effects on one of the birds believed to have eaten poisoned corn at the Wesley Chapel Shopping Center.
“Flushed his stomach essentially got all the poisoned feed out,” said Bayleigh Machaffie with Carolina Waterfowl Rescue.
So far, four birds have been brought to the rescue, most too sick to help.
“So basically when birds ingest the poison seeds, they’re able to fly around a little bit before they start seeing symptoms of the poisoning. So they can get a little ways, but they come from the same intersection,” Machaffie said.
The rescue said the seed is a legal remedy to scare off unwanted birds. But if too much is eaten, it can prove fatal, not just in pigeons, but other pets, even children.
“It’s not good just to have it lying around,” said Machaffie.
Carolina Waterfowl Rescue does not know who is spreading the potentially fatal feed, but the hope is the person will see this story and stop.
“Any animal that is mistreated I don’t think is right,” said Machaffie. “They’re not doing anything to you, like anything bad to you.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 12, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
In the third floor hallway of the Pentagon, just outside the Army Chief of Staff’s office, there is a pigeon.
Walking the corridors, the lifelike pigeon stands out among the cases of military history that display Revolutionary-era bayonets, Civil War uniforms and replicas of helicopters used in Vietnam. Upon closer inspection, one might notice the pigeon is so life-like because it has been taxidermied. It’s also missing one leg.
That pigeon’s name is “President Wilson” — an unsung hero of World War I that made a daring flight to save U.S. troops exactly 100 years ago on Friday.
President Wilson was a military carrier pigeon, one of many in the U.S. Army Signal Corps that delivered messages between commanders and troops on the front lines. The pigeons were especially useful tools of communication during World War I when the telephone and telegraph were still unreliable new technologies.
According to U.S. military accounts recorded in the U.S. Army Center of Military History and the National Archives, Wilson was born in France and first assigned to the U.S. Army’s newly formed Tank Corps, delivering messages to Tank Battalions commanded by Col. George S. Patton in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel.
But soon afterward, Wilson was assigned to an infantry unit conducting operations near Grandpré during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
On the morning of Oct. 5, 1918, his unit came under attack, and Wilson was dispatched to send a message that the unit needed artillery support. During the 25-mile journey, German soldiers spotted him and began firing into his flight path. (It should be noted that some accounts of Wilson’s heroics place the event as occurring on Nov. 5, but multiple historians reached by ABC corroborated the Oct. 5 date.)
Wilson was hit several times, losing a leg and suffering a wound to his chest, but he managed to deliver the message in a record 25 minutes.
Surviving his wounds, Wilson was retired and sent to the U.S. Army Signal Corps Breeding and Training Center at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, where he would live another eleven years.
After his death, Wilson was taxidermied and presented to the Smithsonian Institution before being transferred to the custody of the U.S. Army in 2008. Now, located in the prestigious halls of the U.S. military’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, Wilson serves as a reminder that these simple birds — often considered a nuisance by the general public — were once war heroes.
Carrier pigeons were used by both the Allied and Central Powers during World War I and could even provide updates to military commanders when launched in midair from planes.
“Launched mid-mission, the birds would fly back to their coops and update ground commanders on what the pilots had observed,” the National Archives wrote in a blog post in January. “Quick updates like this were essential for leaders to know what the battlefield looked like and what the enemy was doing in its own trenches.”
“Tanks carried the birds in order to relay the advance of individual units. Even after the introduction of the radio, pigeons were often the easiest way to help coordinate tank units without exposing the men to dangerous fire. Without a radio set, the soldiers would have had to leave the relative safety of their tanks to relay or receive orders,” the Archives said.
When the pigeons weren’t in use, they were stored in mobile units, often converted horse carriages or even double-decker buses.
The birds are thought to use low-frequency sound waves to map their environments and find their way from location to location.
Another famous World War I pigeon was known as Cher Ami — his moment of heroism came during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in the fall of 1918.
The German Army surrounded elements of the 77th Division for five days, at one moment confusing the Americans as they accidentally shelled their own men in an attempt to fire at the enemy.
Messages were unable to get to U.S. commanders, so Cher Ami was released as the division’s last hope. Like Wilson, Cher Ami flew through a barrage of gunfire, also sustaining injuries to his leg and chest. But he successfully delivered the message, ending the friendly fire.
The French even awarded Cher Ami the Croix de Guerre with Palm, a military decoration, for his service.
Military carrier pigeons were again used in World War II. In that war, 32 pigeons were awarded the United Kingdom’s Dickin Medal for their heroic actions.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 11, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
In Bangkok in all areas forbidden to feed the “flying rats”. Violators face imprisonment of up to 3 months. In the capital of Thailand came into force a law banning the feeding of pigeons in all 50 districts of the city. In public areas of Bangkok have already appeared warning signs in Thai, Chinese and English.
For violation of the law to local residents and foreign visitors are threatened by punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or a fine of 25 thousand baht. Bangkok authorities introduced the ban to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, vectors of which are the “flying rats”.
Thus the mayor of the Thai capital, Asawin Kwanmuang said that the administration does not seek to strictly prosecute offenders. The authorities want to use the promotion to draw people’s attention on the real threat from pigeons, said the mayor, writes turizm.ru. Feeding the pigeons is prohibited in another major city in Thailand – Chiang Mai.
Moreover, similar bans worldwide. For example, can be fined for the bread thrown to the birds in some districts of Paris in the Central areas and squares of Venice, Florence, Geneva, London, Helsinki.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 10, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
REFERRING to the SMS “Pigeon hazard” (The Star, Oct 1), Thailand is considering jailing or fining anyone caught feeding pigeons. The Thai authorities say pigeons are “rats with wings” and cause bird flu, respiratory diseases and meningitis.
Sadly, here in Kuala Lumpur, there are people throwing out food to feed the pigeons. One such place is Jalan Taban 2 in Lucky Garden, Bangsar. They do this every day, usually in the morning, and there are hundreds of pigeons on the road and telephone lines. When the pigeons flutter their wings, small feathers are seen flying around. Residents also find feathers in their kitchens, and this is not healthy.
These so-called “kind souls” who feed the birds are not concerned about health when they throw food on the road. Some even throw food into the back lanes. They never think that crows, other birds, cats and rats also come to eat the food. This is getting out of control and if something is not done soon, someone will get seriously ill due to the germs carried by the pigeons. I hope the Health Ministry will conduct an awareness campaign to educate the public on the dangers pigeons pose to people.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 9, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Allan Cassidy (66), a resident of Dubbieside, in Lower Methil, claims rats have been an issue in the area for two years, but that this was “the worst I’ve ever known it”. One of the dead rats. Allan, a pensioner who lives in a private let, lost two of his racing pigeons last week after they came down with Paratyphoid. He says the racing pigeons caught the bacterial disease which is caused by the rats. Paratyphoid is a pigeon disease caused by salmonella – and it is thought this can be spread by rats. Allan has used medicine to treat the rest of the racing pigeons, and deployed poison and traps to kill the rats. However, he says he does not know the root of the issue and does not wishing to keep paying out for medicine, traps and poison. Allan has called on Fife Council to investigate. “It’s not a new thing in this area, so there must be some food,” he explained. “The amount of rat poison that is disappearing – I’ve never seen it like that. I don’t know where the source is. “I’m a pensioner. It’s hard enough to keep my pigeons going, never mind buying the bait and poison. “The council need to investigate and get to the root of this. Vermin running about like this – that’s no good.” Allan describes the racing pigeons as “massively important” to him. Delight for residents after controversial… £10,000 funding for Fife to get ‘weather… He added: “A pigeon has to be 100 per cent to fly the channel. Anything less and it might not perform well or you might even lose it.” Fife Council said it had received no reports of rats in the area.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 8, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Enterprise and Daleville business owner Kiko Arana spoke about his love for racing pigeons at the Lions Club meeting on Sept 12.
He races pigeons in the homing pigeon family, which can instinctively find their way home from great distances. They are different from the normal pigeons you’ll see on the sidewalk.
Due to that instinctive ability, these pigeons have a history of being used to deliver messages for both military and civilian use, according to Arana.
According to a New York Times article, the “first message-bearing pigeon was loosed by Noah. The ancient Romans used pigeons for chariot races, to tell owners how their entries had placed. Genghis Khan established pigeon relay posts across Asia and much of Eastern Europe. Charlemagne made pigeon-raising the exclusive privilege of nobility. The Rothschild fortune is said to have been seriously augmented by a pigeon bearing news of the British victory at Waterloo.”
These pigeons were widely used throughout World War I and according a Wall Street Journal article, the French military was seeking to return its pigeons to active duty in case of an electromagnetic attack.
Arana’s biggest interest in the birds, however, is their ability to imprint the location of their home. Arana said that no one really knows for sure how homing pigeons find their way home, but he has a theory.
“I’m a believer that—more than anything else—the smell is what brings them home,” Arana said. “They’ve done a lot of experiments but when they block the sensors in the nose, they (the pigeons) cannot make it home.”
It’s also this sense that allows people to race homing pigeons.
The pigeons are released at set location and use this ability to navigate back to the club house. The pigeon that makes it back to the club house the fastest is the victor.
The races in the area are in 75, 150, 200, 300, 400 and 600 mile lengths with the longer races taking multiple days for the pigeons to return.
Pigeons average about 50 miles per hour during the races, according to Arana.
He entered his first race in 1977 in Puerto Rico and has been racing ever since.
Though his birds still race in other parts of the country, Arana said the club he used to race for here, the Wiregrass Racing Pigeon Club, is inactive. He said he hoped that teaching people about racing pigeons would help create newcomers to bring the club back to life.
He brought one of his pigeons to the meeting and showed it to all the members of the Lions Club.
“I wanted to release the pigeon but then I remembered it was hunting season,” Arana said.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 7, 2018 | Bird Netting
A pigeon-infested building in the heart of Hucknall could finally be repaired after the owners were prosecuted for failing to improve its appearance.
Residents said the dilapidated building at 1a Albert Street is a known spot for drug users, with up to 40 needles found during a sweep.
It is also caked in pigeon excrement, graffiti, and residents fear it is “a dangerous eyesore” which has become a playground for youngsters.
Ashfield District Council has been fighting with the owners – Trent Properties Limited – since November 2017 following a number of complaints.
The council said the building – which has been empty for some years – is in a poor condition and has become home to a flock of pigeons.
The local authority said it contacted the owners requesting scheduled work to be carried out within three months, but they failed to do so.
Despite warnings and a fixed penalty notice of £100, which they failed to pay, the council had no option but to take them to court.
In their absence, the council said the company were found guilty, fining them £2,000 with a victim surcharge of £170.
They were also ordered to pay the council’s prosecution costs of £484.40, and must carry out the work on the property within 28 days.
Baker Paul Harris, 60, who lives next door to the building, said: “It is an eyesore. Some new flats have been built across the road and that is all they are seeing – pigeons.
“It has been like that for five years, ever since I moved in. It is not very nice living next to it. When I come off working nights all you can hear is pigeons. It does affect your sleep.
“It needs boarding up. I think at one time it is used to be a butchers.”
Lorraine Pendlebury, 52, who has lived on Albert Street for seven years, said: “It is filthy – birds are living in there and rats go through the jitty. They need to knock it down because when they first cleared it they found about 40 needles and kids do go under there and it is dangerous.
“I think they should be fined more.”
Support nurses Kerry Saxelby, 43, and Rebecca Wilshaw, 42, who live in Hucknall and regularly pass by the building felt it was “unsafe” and an “eyesore.”
Mrs Saxelby said: “It is a total eyesore. It is on an access road so a lot of people do see it.”
Mrs Wilshaw added: “It looks unsafe. There are a lot of kids that play around here so if anything happens. I don’t think fining them will sort it out. I think it needs to be more.”
Talking about the prosecution, Councillor Jason Zadrozny, leader of Ashfield District Council, said: “The council have a number of dilapidated buildings on our caseload, and although some of these owners chose not to engage, we will find them to ensure that these buildings don’t remain a blight on our communities.
“This prosecution is a brilliant result for Hucknall residents and shows that we take disrepair seriously and are committed to cracking down on these rogue property owners. We want them to know that we are coming for them.”
Nottinghamshire Live tried to contact Trent Properties Ltd for a comment, but were unable to do so.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 6, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
We’re not talking about the future anymore. Driverless vehicles are here. In the latest example, in Catalonia, Spain, an autonomous bus called Èrica is being tested around the region to help citizens become familiar with what driverless technology entails.
These bus experiments are also designed to allow local-government officials to adapt to this new means of transportation, which they expect to be fully functioning by 2020.
Equipped with eight sensors, the red and yellow self-driving shuttle unveiled by the Association of Municipalities for Mobility and Urban Transport, AMTU, is 100 percent electrically powered with 14 hours of autonomous driving. It’s air-conditioned and suitable for reduced-mobility passengers.
Looking like a rectangular minivan, Èrica can transport up to 11 passengers and an attendant, who is there to help and advise travelers and deal with emergencies.
Some 4,600 citizens from Sant Cugat, Terrassa, and Sabadell, all cities close to Barcelona, already took the new bus in September. Now AMTU plans to bring it to Girona, El Vendrell, Reus, Martorell, and Vic in October.
However, preparing the bus for these new routes takes time. Before it can begin to carry passengers, Èrica, which stands for electric, revolutionary, intelligent, shared (compartit in Catalan) and amicable, needs two days of preparation, as it has to record the route to be driven in detail using GPS.
Once the bus has been prepared for its new route, passengers can board and have the choice of standing or using one of the six available seats.
On the road, laser sensors help the bus detect unexpected obstacles in its path, such as passers-by or even pigeons. It’s reassuring that the vehicle cannot run anything over, but the safety features also mean it is constantly stopping and starting.
As part of those safety features, the bus is also limited to a maximum speed of 18km/h, or 11mph. This restriction is also to protect standing passengers from sudden braking.
The speed limit is also because the urban environment is complex. With no bicycles, skateboards, scooters, passers-by, cats, dogs, or birds, the bus could in theory travel at speeds of up to 40km/h, or 25mph.
AMTU director Joan Prat tells ZDNet that the shuttle is able to ‘see’ what happens within 200 meters and is programmed to come to a rapid halt, if necessary, when it detects an object at less than 30 centimeters.
However, he also acknowledges that certain weather conditions remain a problem. “In case of heavy rain, the vehicle detects [the water as] an unidentified object, so it can’t operate.”
In the near future, cameras located on the roof will be able to identify exactly what the object encountered is, he adds.
Those issues are among the reasons why, for now, these self-driving shuttles are only be used for pre-checked routes and as first- or last-mile systems, to connect a train station to the city center or vice versa, or work in restricted traffic environments, for example.
“Shuttles like Èrica are designed to complement the current transport network and not to replace any line,” Prat says.
In France, the RATP group conducted similar experiments with EZ10 shuttles in Paris last year and is continuing its automation program in the region this year with a bigger bus driving itself to the depot. Stockholm and Dublin have also hosted pilot programs.
Pere Calvet, general manager of Catalonian railway company FGC, says automation technology is here to stay.
“We still need to overcome hurdles, such as legislation, and carefully deal with moral issues as well as the coexistence of people and machines in the urban environment,” he says.
“But the shift to a more sustainable mobility is necessary and unstoppable.”
Progress certainly has to be made, as polluting emissions in Spain shot up 4.5 percent in 2017, the biggest increase since the Kyoto protocol came into force.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 5, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
The rapidly increasing numbers of pigeons (nok pilab) has ruffled a few official feathers in Bangkok. There was bit of a flap after authorities warned that citizens caught feeding the birds would face a stiff fine, explaining the pigeons were spreading disease. These birds divide opinion, some calling them “rats with wings”, others more generously “doves without the PR”. Fond as I am of feathered friends, I must admit pigeons are not my favourite. About 10 years ago, I wrote about the problems of pigeons at our residence. It began harmlessly enough with a couple of the birds raiding the dogs’ food bowls at the back of the house. Initially it was not a major concern, but word soon spread amongst the pigeon community. They began arriving in squadrons and became a real nuisance. Getting rid of them was another matter. I quickly learned that clapping my hands and shouting “Shoo!” was only a temporary solution and also looked quite pathetic. Pigeons are smart and swiftly worked out that hand-claps are not gunshots. On occasions I felt like those people in the Hitchcock film, The Birds, although they were attacked by seagulls, a much more aggressive species than the pigeon. Please log in here to fully view this exclusive content. If you aren’t a member yet, simply sign up here. It’s totally free & takes only a minute.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 4, 2018 | Animal Deterrent Products
A devastated pigeon fancier has recalled watching fire engulf his pigeon shed that left around 70 birds dead.
Stephen Salmon, 59, was on the phone when his neighbour started banging on his front door in Trowbridge, Cardiff, saying his pigeon loft was on fire.
The blaze on Tuesday had spread from next door causing the 40-foot long building to catch fire.
Dad Stephen, who has raced pigeons since he was 11 years old, said: “It was absolutely devastating. I was here with my friend at about 4.30pm and he said someone had lit a fire and I should get the washing in.
“It wasn’t big then so I didn’t think anymore of it.”
But around two hours later his neighbour was banging on the door saying the pigeon loft had caught fire.
Stephen said: “I ran into the garden and into the shed to try and save my stock birds.
“But it was just too much. They had to drag me out of there – I didn’t like seeing them die like that.
“The fire brigade came but it was too late, they had all perished.”
Out of around 120 pigeons Stephen had in the shed, around 70 were killed in the fire.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service sent two crews to the scene, and said the cause of the fire was accidental.
Stephen said: “What is most upsetting about it is my stock birds because over the last 10 years I have built it up and spent thousands, and you can’t replace that.
“My kids paid £600 for two birds for me once and they perished.”
Stephen, who is part of the Llanrumney Royal British Legion pigeon club, said the total loss amounted to around £10,000.
The pigeon loft is currently cordoned off and will be removed by the Cardiff Community housing association.
Stephen praised the quick response of the fire service and said he was “most grateful” for their help.
A fire service spokeswoman said they received reports of a fire at a property in Trowbridge at 6.28pm.
Two crews, from Roath and Cardiff Central, attended the scene.
They confirmed a pigeon loft was damaged and said the crews extinguished the fire.
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